Freedom
by gwenstacey
Summary: This was not how Hinata had pictured her wedding day.
1. The beginning

AN: This is a two shot, and about as angsty as you will ever see me get. Takes place during the time skip.

~*~

Hinata sat quietly as Koharu did her hair up in a rather elaborate style. She caught the elderly council woman's eye and the woman simply smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder in a friendly, reassuring manner. As if that made up for anything.

This was not how Hinata pictured her wedding. Weddings were supposed to be happy occasions. She should have been surrounded by her friends and family, feeling giddy at the prospect of walking down the aisle towards the man she loved. Instead, she was miles from Konoha and everyone she cared about. Not only that, but she was forbidden to even mention her wedding or being married when she returned to the village, even to her father. And, worst of all, Hinata was not going to be married to the man she loved, or even to a friend. No, Hinata was about to be married to one of the most terrifying S-ranked criminals that Konoha had ever produced, Uchiha Itachi.

The man seemed to be the exact opposite of everything that was Naruto. He was dark, gloomy, and reserved. He was a genius, a prodigy; he hadn't had to struggle for recognition, it had come effortlessly. And, instead of standing by the people he should have cared for, he had mercilessly slaughtered nearly his entire clan. How was Hinata ever supposed to learn to care for this man?

Koharu was now pulling Hinata to her feet, and the young girl took a deep calming breath. As much as she despised the woman holding her elbow at this moment, she was a kunoichi, and she knew her duty. Konoha needed information on the Akatsuki, and Itachi wanted a bride. Her sacrifice could ensure the village's survival. She didn't understand Itachi's choice. She didn't need to. She didn't want to.

Someday, Hinata told herself, Sasuke would gain the power he so desperately craved, and he would come after his brother. On that day, Hinata would be free once again.

It was with this thought that Hinata started down the aisle.

~*~

AN: I know this is harsh on Hinata's part, but look at what she would know about him at this point in the story. It's not like Koharu would actually tell the poor girl anything that would help. Irratable old bat that she is. Next chapter coming soon. It will contain spoilers up through chp 394 of the manga


	2. The end

WARNING: This contains SPOILERS for up to chp 395 of the manga.

Hinata sat in front of the memorial stone gazing at the names and idly twirling a kunai in her hands. There was one missing, one name that should hold a place on this stone that she knew the village would never commission.

She was free now. Free of the marriage that had been forced on her years ago. But she couldn't bring herself to be happy about it.

She had never learned to love Itachi, not in the way that woman is supposed to love her husband, but she had cared for him. They had been friends. It had taken time, but the stoic man had eventually opened up to her. She had learned his past and seen the fragility within him. She had been his companion, which was all he had really wanted.

Every meeting, every carefully planned liaison between them, had shown the young heiress a little more of the others soul, until she believed that she knew more of who Itachi was than anyone else could ever hope to. She missed him.

She didn't know if anyone had picked up on her ulterior motives as they had raced through the treetops in search of Sasuke, but she had definitely felt them. She wasn't sure what exactly she would have done had they found Sasuke prior to him finding Itachi, but she knows she would have tried to stop him. Now she's not sure she'll ever be able to look at the boy again.

She sighs and rises to her feet, intent on heading back to the Hyuuga compound. Maybe she should tell Naruto how she feels about him, now that she's free to do so. But she knows that, for her, it is to soon. It would feel disrespectful to her, selfish. She'll wait.

She passes Kakashi as she leaves the area surrounding the memorial, on his way to visit his own ghosts. And when he gets there, if he realizes that a new name has been carved on the stone, with rough and unprofessional strokes, or knows who put it there, he doesn't say anything.

~*~

AN: Ok, so we have the beginning and the end. I'm toying with the idea of doing a few oneshots that would go in the middle. Tell me what you think please J


	3. Koharu's choices

AN: Hinata is probably OOC in this. But I think that as far as the plot line of this story is concerned, its not to far a field of probability. That and I have a sick twisted desire to watch this old bat suffer. Secondary story to this small series is still in the works, I haven't forgotten it, I've just been very busy.

WARNING: Takes place somewhere after chp 490 of the manga, so spoilers to that point, and it's a bit dark.

Koharu woke with a bit of a start, not quite sure of what had woken her. She rolled over and nearly jumped out of her skin to see the hilt of a katana protruding from her pillow where someone had driven the weapon down into her bed, right next to her head.

She sat up shakily and took a closer look at the sword that could have easily ended her life and found a note wrapped around it, just above the small hand guard. It was with no small amount of trepidation that the council woman unwrapped the paper and turned on the light so that she could read the neat, crisp script that flowed across the small sheet.

'_Your guards are not infallible, and you are not immortal. Perhaps you should remember these things when you are in a position to alter the course of someone's life, lest your decisions come back to haunt you.'_

Koharu brought one quivering hand to her chest and gripped the fabric of her night dress just above her heart. It had been sometime since she had not felt safe in her own home, but she felt completely exposed and vulnerable now. Someone had come dangerously close to killing her this evening, and she had a good idea of who. But she knew, just as well as the pale eyed girl who had written the note in her hand, that there was no way for her to seek retribution against her would be attacker without exposing her own sins as well.

The council woman collapsed into the chair near her bed and tipped her head back, closing her eyes. Perhaps it had been a mistake to place such an eager young woman with one of the only people capable of raising her up to her full, lethal potential. Now, it seemed, Koharu would have to wait and see if the girl would truly act the part of executioner, because she knew without a doubt, that if the girl decided to take that path, their would be nothing Koharu could do to stop her.

Across Konoha Hinata was just crawling back into her own bed. She knew it wasn't usually in her nature to be vengeful, but she couldn't deny herself this one small act. She knew the old woman would constantly being wondering if she would survive the night, would know her life was within Hinata's hands now that Root, the only group of Shinobi that might have accepted orders to kill the Hyuuga heir without question, was disbanded. And for Hinata, the thought that Koharu would never get another peaceful nights sleep, would never be free of Hinata's lurking shadow, was the best punishment she could think of.


End file.
